Osborne is coming across as little more than a smooth talker in a suit, someone who reached his current position through family links and contacts rather than actual talent or merit. The banking crisis was caused by such inept people in high places - this has put me right off the Tories now.

Chris , Cheltenham, UK

No money, no story.

Derek, Taunton, UK

I suppose £50k is just about the size of issue that Gordon Brown (who thought he ended boom and bust) can get his mind around. Anything bigger would be too much. It would explain why he ignores the TRILLION Pound public sector pension debt when he claims that Britain has "low" public debt.

John Goode, Welwyn Garden City, UK

Yeh, yeh, yeh...the Labour party would never do anything like this...as if.

judy, liverpool, england

Gordon, was that meant to be clever?

Have you forgotten the allegations in the 'cash for honours' affair, or the Formula 1 donation?

Martin, Reading , UK

hang on, how does this work exactly, on the one hand, this government (all of 'em) have succeeded in breeding an incredibly hostile climate of xenophobia and a 'get off my island' mentality to anyone foreign and then given first chance they lick a foreigner for cash? someone help me out here

Nick clarke, stevenage,

Why do we tolerate having the Oligarchs living in the UK. they are a bunch of thieves who stole whatever money the have from the Russian people. anyone who chooses to consort with them should be immediately banned from holding any kind of public position.

Billy Barnett, HK,

Classic diversion tactics by the labour party to try and move the electorate away from their abomnoble handling of the financial crisis and their appalling opinion poll ratings.

Mark Pollard, Gensac, France

What is Mandelson and Osbourne doing on this blokes yacht anyway. There's no such thing as a free lunch!

Will, Wales,

I think Gordon Brown has more important things to worry about - like the economy than whether there was a request for fifty grand.

Get on with the real job Gordon.

Richard, London, UK

Just ask Google who owns the banks (e.g. who owns The Bank of England) then ask yourself "Would you ever trust a Rothchild?"
Poor old George is just being used as a 'whipping boy'.
He is just naive and should never have been out allowed to play with the real Cowboys (and Cossacks).

Keith Jackman , Epsom,, Surrey

Given that Messrs. Cameron and Osborne's experience in running an economy is probably restricted to compiling notes to their fags for their requirements from the Eton tuckshop, this does not surprise me. Incidentally why only £50k from a man who probably can leave this as a tip at restaurant?

T.Y.W.Kent, Glasgow, UK

He went on to say that his witness, Mr Goodwin, recalled that the subject of a donation arose briefly after they went to the Russian’s yacht "but the conversation gained no traction".

if the conversation gained no traction how on earth is it investigatable?

will, grimsby, uk

Surely Mr Osborne should be praise for raising finanaces without borrowing money from a seemingly bottomless pit, given the current state of the economy...........

John, Southend,

How is this story more important than the onset of recession? Perhaps the reporters should read the comments of their readership and realise that they are the only people interested in perpetuating this "story".

Alex, London,

A court case would be very interesting. Who knows what might get flushed out considering what has been happening in world finance and trade since July. Could involve Russia and the EU as well as Westminster.

Mike, Midlands, UK

If proven 'guilty' will Mr Brown send him to the House of Lords and make Lord Osborne his Business Secretary ?

Mike, Sole Street, England

Didn't take long for Mandelson's waspish vindictiveness to make its mark did it? Still, if he helps to break up the fatuous old boy net at the top of the Conservative party he might serve a purpose. He's not much good at anything else. What a bunch politicians are, the lot of them!

Barry Smith, Colomby, France

...pot calling kettle black? no doubt supported by lord voldemort.

eric, london, uk

So Brown wants to spend public money not to investigate whether Osborne asked for money or received it (which he acknowldges he did not) but whther he was present at a meeting where it was offered.
This is not an offence, even if proved.
What a waste of money when the country is bankrupt!!

Phil Bailey, Shrewsbury, UK

Eric Fish, Stroud, you hit the nail on the head, and Osbourne's wriggling under questioning did not help either. he said "the" money, what money was that we wonder?

peter c, Devizes, Wessex

and they say women bitch!

j.bentley, Loule, Portugal

The sad thing is that Osborne avoided answering the questions put to him about discussing a donation by asserting that no donation had been received and Cameron supported this approach.

This was bad for the Conservative Party as it conflicts with the claim to be honest.

Eric Fish, Stroud,

I'm amazed by how readily senior politicians, companies, football clubs etc. fall over themselves to embrace these dodgy Russian businessmen. But, of course, when large sums of money are involved then any pretence of honesty and integrity suddenly go out of the window.

Chris K, Cheltenham, UK

Osborne is a clown and should have been rumbled for his ineptness long ago. If the Tories are to be electable, they need to put a serious head in the role of shadow chancellor.

A grinning though hapless schoolboy with little knowledge of economics or finance is not the solution.

dave, london,

The sooner Cameron breaks up this Eton/Oxford/'Bullingdon Club' the better, and the more electable the Conservatives would be for it. Bring back Ken Clarke for Sh. Chancellor - someone who's done it, knows the brief, and would give Darling a mauling.

Charles, Hampton Hill,

Just when the Tories should be making hay against this inept Labour lot they do this. Do they really deserve to be elected? I sometimes wonder.

David, St Albans, UK

It is absolutely vital that his lordship gives a detailed explanation of each of his meetings with Mr.Deripaska and any of his associates.
Mr. Osborne did have an acceptable reason - friendship - for being at the villa whereas Lord Mandelson appears not to have been in that position.

A.Williams, Cradley Heath,

Osborne deservers everything he is getting, he choose to go to the press with a private conversation that he and Mandelson had and has continued to drip feed additional information. This has clearly come back to bit him. If he was my friend I would be furious with him.

Martin Garthwaite, New Malden, London, UK

I just love it. Very entertaining news story.

All we need now is for the American to tell us what was said who said it, and Gideon is history.

Then more importantly we get a shadow chancellor who has a grasps of matters other than precuring donations to the Tory Party and not very well

Christopher Linthwaite, Beverley, East Yorkshire